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I was just talking to a former WVU player buddy of mine and he said if the defensive coaching staff isnt shook up after their bye week, he and some others were going to go over there and roll some heads. LOL

I said, stop by Columbus and get some there too.

Best thing I've heard all season so far: "Yeah, but up there they are still finding ways to win football games. That's building character for next season when every game counts for something again"

I don't believe that these games count for nothing mind you, but people on the outside looking in mostly are envious as hell that these Buckeyes continue to win and most are scared as hell that Urban Meyer is building a juggernaut in Columbus. We're stubbing our toes on offense and having more breakdowns than any Buckeye defense in memory but, he's right. They are still getting W's. Lots of young guys are getting time and lets face it, this is probably the worst Buckeye linebacking corps in 50 years. It certainly is in my lifetime.

Some of that is talent. Some of that is scheme. Some is probably the nature of the game now vs what it was. How many of you have thought about the defenses that our offense is shredding? What do you think their fans are thinking while watching our offense run for over 300 yards per game and hitting big passing plays?

In a turnaround year at Ohio State, perhaps no one bounced back better than Luke Fickell
Doug Lesmerises, The Plain Deale
November 25, 2012

Coordinator Luke Fickell eventually got the Ohio State Buckeyes defense pointed in the right direction this season, a turnaround capped off by shutting out Michigan in the second half on Saturday. Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A year ago Luke Fickell was coming off a loss to Michigan as Ohio State's head coach, flooded by rumors about Urban Meyer's imminent hiring and preparing for a Gator Bowl the Buckeyes would lose to finish off the Buckeyes' first losing season since 1988.

That's pretty low.

Six weeks ago, Luke Fickell, in his first season calling the signals as defensive coordinator, was explaining why his defense gave up 49 points to Indiana, was watching Meyer come into the defensive meeting room to give the defense a kick and was briefly mired in TV-generated ridiculousness over the firing of a pizza delivery guy.

That's really low.

Saturday, Luke Fickell was one of the coordinators on an Ohio State team that finished the sixth perfect season in school history, was celebrating his alma mater's revenge against Michigan and saw his defense shut out the Wolverines in the second half, allowing just 60 yards while forcing three turnovers.

That's pretty high.

"When (Meyer) challenged us, when he challenged the entire defense, I think we knew we weren't satisfied," Fickell said after Saturday's 26-21 win of that midseason change. "Not that we made big changes but we made some changes, we got back to basics and we grew as a staff, too. We had some growing to do."

With a 12-0 first season in the books, Urban Meyer appears to have no intention of making changes on his Ohio State defensive coaching staff.

?I?m very pleased with the way the last half of the season went, especially on defense,? Meyer said last week.

He judged the defense on its season as a whole, not on a two-game blip in October. In consecutive games against Nebraska and Indiana, the Buckeyes gave up 87 points (38 and 49, respectively) and left many fans doubting the leadership abilities of first-time coordinator Luke Fickell.

Even Meyer had questions at that point, though he also knew the defense was dealing with injuries and an appalling lack of qualified depth at linebacker. But missed tackles ? that was the pox that afflicted the defense more than the system. Meyer visited the defensive coaches? meeting room and said, in essence, that the Buckeyes had to start tackling better and he wanted them to be more aggressive.

?When Coach challenged us ? when he challenged the entire defense ? that?s a thing that we knew, we weren?t satisfied,? Fickell said. ?That?s been our motto the whole time: We?re never satisfied.?

Fickell said he and his staff didn?t make wholesale changes, ?but we made some changes, and we got back to the basics and the fundamentals. We grew as a staff, too. Coach (Everett) Withers and I, and coach (Mike) Vrabel and coach (Kerry) Coombs, we had some growing to do.?

The players responded, especially after weekly practice periods on fundamentals such as tackling and maintaining leverage on the ball carrier, rudiments usually considered a given once a team breaks preseason camp.

?I think, at the beginning of the year, we were doing a little ... I wouldn?t say freelancing, but we were going for the big plays, the kill shots, the mentality of Coach Meyer, you know, smack ?em in the mouth every single time,? senior defensive end Nathan Williams said. ?I think once we got used to everybody?s role on the team, we had to take a step back, work on our fundamentals, and I think we did a great job with that.?

By season?s end, Meyer was so satisfied with the progress ? Michigan?s two big first-half plays notwithstanding ? that he declared his undefeated team capable of playing with any in the nation because it finally had a defense that could compete.

Hypothetically since Luke's name is being tossed around (very early) as a possible candidate for Pitt or Kent State... if so, what would it do to the staff? Could we see any other Coaches follow Luke? I think it would be too early to try and have Vrable as a DC, but couldn't think of any other Coach that would follow him? Coombs as a DC would be savvy. MAYBE Zach Smith as OC, but not sure...

Hypothetically since Luke's name is being tossed around (very early) as a possible candidate for Pitt or Kent State... if so, what would it do to the staff? Could we see any other Coaches follow Luke? I think it would be too early to try and have Vrable as a DC, but couldn't think of any other Coach that would follow him? Coombs as a DC would be savvy. MAYBE Zach Smith as OC, but not sure...

Thoughts for the sake of conversation?

Click to expand...

My sole thought is that IF Luke wants to be a head coach in the future, THEN I would like to see him learn about it elsewhere instead of a possible HC-in-waiting thing.

Agreed. I just don't want to re-live 2011, and I believe that in order to be a successful HC you will have to learn from many mistakes and make your own system (for lack of a better word). tOSU, to me, is not a place where you learn about either. You're established, successful, and desired by the time the Buckeyes come calling.

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